Domestic energy-saving lamps trip to Europe once again frustrated

Recently, the EU decided to import from the energy-saving light bulbs China compact fluorescent lamps to levy 1 anti-dumping duty; after September, India's exports to China's energy-saving lamps of anti-dumping, export product to India during April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 survey. At this point, FSL, Osland and other enterprises as the representative of the Foshan energy saving lamp manufacturers are facing the two line combat difficult position.

Domestic energy-saving lamps after suffering

In fact, the EU since 2001 on the production of energy-saving bulbs from China for a period of 5 years, up to 66.1% of the anti-dumping duties. In fact, in recent years, the European Union on the abolition of China's energy-saving lamps levied anti-dumping duties have been constantly.

On the one hand, the global trend of energy saving and environmental protection, the EU attaches great importance to environmental issues, at the beginning of March this year, EU leaders signed an environmental agreement within two years of European countries will be gradually replaced with energy-saving fluorescent bulbs are incandescent light bulbs with high energy consumption, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the European Commission estimates that if all of the EU's family will be replaced by incandescent lamps, can reduce 60% of household lighting electricity, which means that the EU market demand for energy-saving lamps will be further expanded. On the other hand, with some large international energy-saving lamp enterprises will be transferred to the production base Chinese, quite a part from the Chinese energy-saving bulb is actually manufactured by European companies in Chinese, the main energy-saving bulb manufacturers currently include the PHILPS company in Holland, with factories in China, the majority of the company's products from PHILPS Chinese exports to europe. Therefore, the EU on China's energy-saving bulbs to extend a year to impose anti-dumping duties, sanctions are also included in these foreign companies in china. According to PHILPS estimates, due to the EU on the production of energy-saving light bulbs from the Chinese anti-dumping duties, the company's annual loss of 20 million euros, so most of the EU energy-saving bulb production enterprises hope to stop levy anti-dumping duties.

Because of this, the anti-dumping measures in July last year to expire, the EU should be a lighting equipment manufacturer's requirements, but also to start a 15 month investigation on the production of energy-saving light bulbs from Chinese, to decide whether to continue to levy anti-dumping duties. In August this year, the European Commission recommended the production of energy-saving lamps from China to continue to levy anti-dumping duties for 1 years, and the proposal submitted to the European Council approved.

In fact, the EU's export barriers to China's energy saving products is far from the case, in addition to the anti-dumping duties of this trade barriers, the EU has also affected the way through technical barriers. The most famous of which is the 3 green directives - "on the waste electrical and electronic equipment" (WEEE directive), "about in electrical and electronic equipment to limit the use of certain Hazardous Substances Directive" (RoHS directive) and "energy product Eco Design Framework Directive" (EUP directive).

Limited impact of new measures

Although the tariff barriers to China's exports to the EU market, the price of energy-saving bulbs in the European Union, a substantial increase in the local 25% to 66%, but in recent years, China's energy-saving lamp exports to Europe has maintained a sustained growth momentum. According to statistics from the European Union in July 2005 to June 2006, 69% of the energy-saving lamps from china. Data show that from 2001 to 2006, China's exports of energy-saving lamps in Europe is growing, but it can not be denied that the growth is relatively slow.

In this regard, experts believe that the EU anti-dumping tax policy has been implemented for 6 years, so compared with the initial implementation, it has limited impact on China's exports of energy-saving lamps. Meanwhile, at the end of March 9th this year, the EU spring summit, the participants reached an agreement, the European countries will gradually replace the use of energy-saving fluorescent lamp in the past two years, the high energy consumption of the old incandescent. At present, the EU national product can only meet the market demand of 25%, and the price is generally expensive, these positive factors are promoting the export of China's energy-saving lamps.

As the main base of China's energy-saving lamp production and exports, according to Fuzhou customs statistics, from January to July this year, Fujian province total exports of energy-saving lamps 280 million, worth $320 million, over the same period last year increased by 79.6% and 86.3% respectively. Guangdong province in another energy-saving lamp production, the export situation is equally gratifying. According to Whampoa customs statistics, from January to August this year, Guangdong province total exports of energy-saving lamps 330 million, growth of 47.1% respectively over the same period last year.

Enterprises need to practice hard

However, at present, China's exports of energy-saving lamps mainly in general trade based, there are also hidden behind the increase in the number of. Such as China's exports to the EU energy saving lamps accounted for the proportion of China's exports of energy-saving lamps has shrunk from 26% in 2000 to $13% in 2006. It should be noted that, in August 30th, India formally put forward anti-dumping on China's energy-saving lamp filing, if the imposition of high anti-dumping duties, will contain the rapid growth of China's energy-saving lamps on the India market.

Technical standards is another obstacle that enterprises need to cross. Although there are energy-saving lamps of the international standard, but the international standard is put forward common requirements, in particular export to a country or region, energy-saving lamps also need to meet the requirements of the standard, which requires enterprises to continuously improve product quality and technical level.

To this end, the industry suggested that China's energy-saving lamp enterprises should actively adjust the industrial layout, relying on independent innovation, across the relevant technical barriers to foreign trade. At the same time, it may be appropriate to focus on the domestic market. According to the China Lighting Association statistics, in 2006 China's energy-saving lamp output reached 2 billion 400 million,